Hagan's first ads tout work on NC issues

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan's first two campaign ads focus on her work to get medical care to Marine families affected by contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune and closing a loophole in a trade agreement on textiles.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan’s first two TV ads of the campaign are out. One is about Hagan’s work to get the bipartisan law passed that provides medical care to Marines and their families who became ill from drinking contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The other is about closing a loophole in a trade agreement on textiles.

The Camp Lejeune ad is narrated by retired Marine Jerry Ensminger, whose daughter Janey was born at the base and died of leukemia from the carcinogenic-laden water at age 9. Ensminger worked for 17 years trying to bring attention to the contamination and get care for families suffering from it.

“Kay Hagan getting involved was a turning point,” he said, referring to Hagan’s work after her election to the U.S. Senate in 2008.

The ad notes the bill was bipartisan. Sen. Richard Burr, North Carolina’s Republican senator, also worked to get it passed and signed into law in 2012.

The other ad is about a loophole in the Central American Free Trade Agreement of 2005 that left synthetic thread out of the deal. It allowed countries that were not part of the agreement, including China, to put cheaper yarn in textiles. Hagan helped get a bill passed that closed that loophole.

Her campaign said it saved 2,000 jobs in the textile industry in the Carolinas.

“These two ads powerfully illustrate Kay’s record of putting North Carolina first,” said Chris Hayden, a campaign spokesman, adding that Hagan “is a committed advocate for all North Carolinians, and she will continue working across the aisle on commonsense solutions for North Carolina families.”

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